


Ribbon

by gladdecease



Category: Naruto
Genre: Bechdel Test Pass, Community: 100_situations, Female Friendship, Gen, Women Being Awesome
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-09-16
Updated: 2007-09-16
Packaged: 2017-10-15 15:38:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/162325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gladdecease/pseuds/gladdecease
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sakura's hitai-ate snaps during her second chuunin exam. Ino has something she can use.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ribbon

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place during an as-of-yet unwritten chuunin exam when Sakura teams with Ino and Chouji. I'll probably write it, eventually.

_Why is your hair in your face? You look like a ghost!_

 _But - my forehead -_

 _They only get to you if you let 'em! Come back tomorrow, I'll give you something nice~_

 _Here, a red ribbon! Keep your hair out of your face, and... there! Don't you look cute?_

 _Th - thank you._

* * *

Pink hair snags on her shirt collar, jagged from the serrated blade held, only seconds ago, against her neck.

She has broken free of the trap again, of the cycle she jumped into - _ino-chan i heard sasuke-kun likes girls with long hair_ \- but this time wastes no time on monologues, and jumps straight to beating the other side.

Her hair flies out behind her, stray cut ends drifting to the ground.

It's beautiful, like those old stories of samurai fighting under blossoming cherry trees, Ino thinks. She wonders when Sakura started to bloom a second time, and how she could have missed it.

* * *

 _Honestly, do I have to trim your hair for you **every** time you do this?_

 _This is the last time I'll cut my hair during a fight, I promise._

 _Are you sure about that? I doubt you'll get this kind of quality hair-cut from a kunai ever again._

 _Hnmph._

 _What was that? Was that a **snort**? How **ladylike**._

 _Coming from a pig like yourself, I wouldn't be talking. ...but, I **am** sure. I... won't grow it out anymore._

 _...you -_

 _What?_

 _...it's nothing._

* * *

Her forehead protector doesn't fit anymore.

Ino realizes this when she sees Sakura fumbling to put it back on after she fixes her hair. The weight of her hair was holding it in place before, but now -

Without really thinking about it, she takes the green strip of cloth from her teammates' hand and starts tearing the stitches. She pulls the red ribbon out of the pocket she keeps all of her - her - (fondest memories? worst mistakes? lost friendships? new hopes?) - her _hair ties_ in, along with a needle and thread.

With Sakura watching in what can only be called the shock of comprehension, Ino sews the metal leaf symbol onto the ribbon that started their friendship.

The new forehead protector fits perfectly.

It could be symbolic or something, probably.

* * *

 _Ino..._

 _Hm? What is it?_

 _Thank you._

 _Th..._

 __

 _...heh. Don't need to thank me, Sakura. All I did was keep your ribbon safe for you._

**Author's Note:**

> For the prompt "Torn" at [100_situations](http://community.livejournal.com/100_situations). My table is [here](http://community.livejournal.com/glad_fics/18783.html).


End file.
